Submersible turf reinforcement mats

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of submersible turf reinforcement mats that may include polymer and one or more additives. For example, calcium carbonate, zinc sulfide, barium sulfate, and/or other additives may be mixed or blended with the polymer such that the overall density is high enough to cause the submersible turf reinforcement mat to sink in water.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/355,152 filed Jun. 27, 2016.

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/341,594 filed May 25, 2016.

The entire disclosure of each of the above applications is incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to submersible turf reinforcement mats.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Turf reinforcement mats may be used for soil reinforcement, retention,stabilization, erosion control, support for vegetation and/or mulch,etc. In some applications, it is necessary for a turf reinforcement matto be submerged in water.

A turf reinforcement mat may include warp and weft yarns interwoventogether with the warp yarns inserted over-and-under the weft yarns (orvice versa) to thereby secure the yarns together. For example, FIG. 1shows a portion of a conventional turf reinforcement mat 10 havingmonofilament yarns 14 in the warp direction (from top to bottom inFIG. 1) and monofilament yarns 18 in the weft or fill direction (fromleft to right in FIG. 1).

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 shows a portion of a conventional turf reinforcement mat; and

FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram representing an exemplary manufacturingprocess or method of making a submersible turf reinforcement mataccording to exemplary embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

Turf reinforcement mats may be used for soil reinforcement, retention,stabilization, erosion control, support for vegetation and/or mulch,etc. In some applications, it is necessary for a turf reinforcement matto be submerged in water. But conventional turf reinforcement mats floatin water because they are made of materials with a density less thanwater such that the mat is manufactured using a material with a densityless than the water in which they will be submerged. When a turfreinforcement mat floats, the usefulness of the product can benullified. Mechanical anchors are oftentimes used to hold a turfreinforcement mat in place so that any type of force does not disturbthe relationship of the mat to the vegetation and the soil underneath.These forces can be massive rain fall, wind, turbulent water, foottraffic, etc. When exposed to submersion, the movement or tendency ofthe turf reinforcement mat to float can actually dislodge the anchorsover time. Furthermore, a turf reinforcement mat that floats whenexposed to water can disturb the soil it is protecting as well as thevegetation that it is supporting.

Accordingly, disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments of submersibleturf reinforcement mats that may include polymer and one or moreadditives. The one or more additives have a specific gravity greaterthan 1 and greater than a specific gravity of the base polymer. Forexample, calcium carbonate, zinc sulfide, barium sulfate, and/or otheradditives may be mixed or blended with polymer (e.g., polypropylene,polyethylene, other polymers having a specific gravity less than 1,etc.) such that the submersible turf reinforcement mat has an overalldensity greater than the density of water. Thus, the submersible turfreinforcement mat may sink and not float in water. Mechanical anchorsmay be used with the submersible turf reinforcement mat, which does notfloat and thus advantageously will not cause the anchors to dislodge ordisturb the soil and vegetation around the mat. In exemplaryembodiments, one or more additives may be mixed or blended with polymersuch the weight percentage of the one or more additives compared to thetotal weight of the polymer/additive mixture is within a range fromabout 0.1% to about 99%.

In some exemplary embodiments, the submersible turf reinforcement matsare made of polymer and calcium carbonate. In these exemplaryembodiments, calcium carbonate may be mixed or blended with polymer suchthat the weight percentage of the calcium carbonate is within a rangefrom about 17% to about 40% compared to the total weight of thepolymer/calcium carbonate mixture or blend. The specific gravity of thepolymer/calcium carbonate mixture or blend will vary depending on theweight percentage of the calcium carbonate. That is, the specificgravity of the polymer/calcium carbonate mixture or blend will be higherwhen the weight percentage of the calcium carbonate is higher. For the17% to 40% range noted above, the specific gravity of thepolymer/calcium carbonate mixture or blend may fall within a range from1.015 to 1.228, where the specific gravity is determined by the ratio ofthe density of the polymer/calcium carbonate mixture or blend to thedensity of water at 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degrees Fahrenheit.

By way of example, the weight percentage of the calcium carbonate may beabout 20% compared to the total weight of the polymer/calcium carbonatemixture or blend. In this example, the specific gravity of thepolymer/calcium carbonate mixture or blend would be 1.039 as determinedby the ratio of the 1.039 g/cm³ density of the polymer/calcium carbonatemixture or blend with 20% percentage of calcium carbonate to the 1.0g/cm³ density of water at 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degrees Fahrenheit.

In other exemplary embodiments, the submersible turf reinforcement matsare made of polymer and zinc sulfide. In these other exemplaryembodiments, zinc sulfide may be mixed or blended with polymer such thatthe weight percentage of the zinc sulfide is within a range from about14% to about 30% compared to the total weight of the polymer/zincsulfide mixture or blend. The specific gravity of the polymer/zincsulfide mixture or blend will vary depending on the weight percentage ofthe zinc sulfide. That is, the specific gravity of the polymer/zincsulfide mixture or blend will be higher when the weight percentage ofthe zinc sulfide is higher, and vice versa. For the 14% to 30% rangenoted above, the specific gravity of the polymer/zinc sulfide mixture orblend may fall within a range from 1.01 to 1.175, where the specificgravity is determined by the ratio of the density of the polymer/zincsulfide mixture or blend to the density of water at 4 degrees Celsius or39 degrees Fahrenheit.

By way of example, the weight percentage of the zinc sulfide may beabout 15% compared to the total weight of the polymer/zinc sulfidemixture or blend. In this example, the specific gravity of thepolymer/zinc sulfide mixture or blend would be 1.019 as determined bythe ratio of the 1.019 g/cm³ density of the polymer/zinc sulfide mixtureor blend with 15% percentage of zinc sulfide to the 1.0 g/cm³ density ofwater at 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degrees Fahrenheit.

In further exemplary embodiments, the submersible turf reinforcementmats are made of polymer and barium sulfate. In these further exemplaryembodiments, barium sulfate may be mixed or blended with polymer suchthat the weight percentage of the barium sulfate is within a range fromabout 14% to about 25% compared to the total weight of thepolymer/barium sulfate mixture or blend. The specific gravity of thepolymer/barium sulfate mixture or blend will vary depending on theweight percentage of the barium sulfate. That is, the specific gravityof the polymer/barium sulfate mixture or blend will be higher when theweight percentage of the barium sulfate is higher, and vice versa. Forthe 14% to 25% range noted above, the specific gravity of thepolymer/barium sulfate mixture or blend may fall within a range from1.014 to 1.125, where the specific gravity is determined by the ratio ofthe density of the polymer/barium sulfate mixture or blend to thedensity of water at 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degrees Fahrenheit.

By way of example, the weight percentage of the barium sulfate may beabout 14% compared to the total weight of the polymer/barium sulfatemixture or blend. In this example, the specific gravity of thepolymer/barium sulfate mixture or blend would be 1.014 as determined bythe ratio of the 1.014 g/cm³ density of the polymer/barium sulfatemixture or blend with 14% percentage of barium sulfate to the 1.0 g/cm³density of water at 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degrees Fahrenheit.

In exemplary embodiments, a submersible turf reinforcement mat maycomprise a woven fabric made from warp and weft yarns. The warp and weftyarns may be interwoven together with the warp yarns insertedover-and-under the weft yarns (or vice versa) to thereby secure theyarns together. In these exemplary embodiments, the warp and/or weftyarns may be made from one or more of the polymer/additive mixtures orblends disclosed herein. For example, the warp yarns and/or weft yarnsmay be made from blend or mixture of polymer (e.g., polypropylene,polyethylene, other polymers having a specific gravity less than 1,etc.) and one or more additives (e.g., calcium carbonate, zinc sulfide,barium sulfate, and/or other additives having a specific gravity greaterthan 1, etc.) such that the resulting woven fabric/submersible turfreinforcement mat has an overall density greater than the density ofwater.

The warp yarns and weft yarns may be made from the same polymer/additiveblend or mixture. Or, the warp yarns may be made from a polymer/additiveblend or mixture that is different than the polymer/additive blend ormixture used to make the weft yarns. Moreover, each warp yarn and eachweft yarn does not necessarily need to be made from a polymer/additiveblend or mixture so long as enough of the polymer/additive blend ormixture is preferably used such that the resulting wovenfabric/submersible turf reinforcement mat has an overall density greaterthan the density of water and high enough to sink when exposed to water.By way of example, either the warp yarns or the weft yarns (but notboth) may be made from a polymer/additive blend or mixture while theother of the warp or weft yarns are made from polymer without theadditive in an exemplary embodiment. By way of further example, onlysome of the warp and/or weft yarns may be made from a polymer/additiveblend or mixture while the remaining warp and/or weft yarns are madefrom polymer without the additive in another exemplary embodiment.

The polymer/additive blends or mixtures disclosed herein may be used tomake various different types of yarns, such as monofilament yarns,multifilament yarns, and spun yarns (e.g., core-sheath spun yarn,ring-spun yarn, rotor-spun yarn, open-end spun yarn, etc.), tape yarns,fibrillated yarns, etc. for either or both the weft and warp directions.A submersible turf reinforcement mat may be formed by layers of warp andweft yarns made from a polymer/additive blend or mixture disclosedherein, where the warp and weft yarns are secured or interwoven togetherin a weave, construction, or pattern, which helps to enhance water flowand strength characteristics. The warp and weft yarns may be configuredsuch that the submersible turf reinforcement mat has a three-dimensionalshape. For example, the submersible turf reinforcement mat may have aplurality of portions or cells having a pyramidal, honeycomb, or domeshapes. By way of example, the submersible turf reinforcement mat mayhave a plain weave, a twill weave (e.g., 2×2, 3×3, 2×1, 4×4, etc.),satin weave, pyramidal weave, etc. For example, warp yarns may beinterwoven with the weft yarns such that the warp yarns cross over andthen under more than one weft yarn (e.g., three weft yarns, two weftyarns, etc.). The warp and weft yarn systems may comprise one, two,three or more different types of yarns, e.g., multifilament yarns and/orspun yarns with different cross-sectional shapes or geometries,monofilaments, tape yarns, fibrillated yarns, etc.

In other exemplary embodiments, a submersible turf reinforcement mat maycomprise other three dimensional structures manufactured frommonofilament strands that create an open mat. In these other exemplaryembodiments, the monofilament strands may be made from one or more ofthe polymer/additive mixtures or blends disclosed herein. Themonofilament strands may be made from a blend or mixture of polymer(e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, other polymers having a specificgravity less than 1, etc.) and one or more additives (e.g., calciumcarbonate, zinc sulfide, barium sulfate, and/or other additives having aspecific gravity greater than 1, etc.) such that the overall density isgreater than the density of water. Thus, the submersible turfreinforcement mat will sink and not float in water.

In further exemplary embodiments, a submersible turf reinforcement matmay include netting/grid products that are layered or attached togetherwith fibrous layers to form three dimensional structures. In thesefurther exemplary embodiments, the netting/grid may be made from one ormore of the polymer/additive mixtures or blends disclosed herein. Thenetting/grid may be made from a blend or mixture of polymer (e.g.,polypropylene, polyethylene, other polymers having a specific gravityless than 1, etc.) and one or more additives (e.g., calcium carbonate,zinc sulfide, barium sulfate, and/or other additives having a specificgravity greater than 1, etc.) such that the overall density is greaterthan the density of water. Thus, the submersible turf reinforcement matwill sink when exposed to water.

The polymer/additive blends or mixtures disclosed herein should not belimited to any particular type of yarn, any particular manufacturingprocess, any particular yarn cross-sectional profile, any particularthree-dimensional shape, any particular base polymer, any particularheat treatment to form a three dimensional structure, any particulartype of turf reinforcement mat, etc. The polymer/additive blends ormixtures disclosed herein may be used with any of the typical processesfor manufacturing turf reinforcement mats. Moreover, thepolymer/additive blends or mixtures disclosed herein may also be usedwith various types of turf reinforcement mats, such as the wovensubmersible turf reinforcement mats disclosed herein, the submersibleturf reinforcement mats made from monofilament strands that create anopen mat, the submersible turf reinforcement mats that includenetting/grid products layered or attached together with fibrous layersto form three dimensional structures, etc.

As shown by rows 1, 2, and 3 in the table below, exemplary embodimentsof a submersible turf reinforcement mat may include spun yarn (e.g.,core-sheath spun yarn, etc.) in the warp direction and monofilamentyarn, multifilament yarn, or spun yarn in the weft direction. As shownby rows 4 and 5 in the table below, exemplary embodiments of asubmersible turf reinforcement mat may include monofilament yarn in thewarp direction and spun yarn or multifilament yarn in the weftdirection. As shown by rows 6, 7, and 8 in the table below, exemplaryembodiments of a submersible turf reinforcement mat may includemultifilament yarn in the warp direction and spun yarn, monofilamentyarn, or multifilament yarn in the weft direction. The spun,monofilament, and multifilament yarns in the table below may be madefrom one or more of the polymer/additive mixtures or blends disclosedherein.

Row Warp Yarn Weft Yarn 1 Spun Monofilament 2 Spun Multifilament 3 SpunSpun 4 Monofilament Spun 5 Monofilament Multifilament 6 MultifilamentSpun 7 Multifilament Monofilament 8 Multifilament Multifilament

In exemplary embodiments that include spun yarn in either or both of thewarp and weft directions, the spun yarn may include relatively shortfilaments or staple fibers, e.g., from 1 denier per filament (dpf) to 60dpf, etc. The short filaments or staple fibers may be spun, entangled,twisted, etc., together to form a larger yarn. The short filaments orstaple fibers may also be utilized in a core-sheath spun yarn wheresingle or multiple yarns for a core structure are encapsulated in asingle or multiple (e.g., 1 to 1 to 6, etc.) blend of fibers around thecore.

By way of example only, core-sheath spun yarns may be made by Drefspinning, ring spinning, rotor spinning, open-end spinning, etc. Butaspects of the present disclosure should not be limited to any singletype of manufacturing process for making spun yarns and/or multifilamentyarns as spun yarns and/or multifilament yarns may be made by differentmanufacturing processes.

In exemplary embodiments, yarn may be formed from at least one of thepolymer/additive mixtures or blends disclosed herein such that the yarnhas a round (e.g., circular or substantially circular, etc.) crosssection. In exemplary embodiments, a submersible turf reinforcement matmay include warp yarns and weft yarns having the same cross-sectionalshape (e.g., round, substantially circular cross-sectional shape, etc.).Alternatively, other embodiments may include warp and weft yarns thathave cross-sectional shapes or geometries different than thecross-sectional shapes or geometries of the weft yarns. For example, thewarp or weft yarns may have a round, substantially circularcross-sectional shape, while the other one of the warp or weft yarns hasan oval cross-sectional shape with a width greater than its thickness orheight. Alternative embodiments may include a submersible turfreinforcement mat having warp and/or weft yarns with other or additionalcross-sectional shapes, geometries, and/or sizes. For example, the warpand weft yarns may both have an oval cross-sectional shape.

In exemplary embodiments, the submersible turf reinforcement mat mayconsist of a single warp set/system and a single weft set/system. Inthis example, either or both of the first/warp system and thesecond/weft system may include multifilament yarns and/or spun yarnsformed from one or more of the polymer/additive mixtures or blendsdisclosed herein. The first and second (or warp and weft) sets of yarnsmay be interwoven together to form a dimensionally stable network, whichallows the yarns to maintain their relative position.

FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram representing an exemplary manufacturingprocess or method 240 of making a submersible turf reinforcement matcomprising a polymer/additive mixture or blend according to exemplaryembodiments. Generally, the method 240 includes four operations or stepslabeled as yarn production 244, beaming 248, weaving 252, and oven 256in FIG. 2.

By way of background, single strand yarns may be produced from plasticresin pellets. The pellets are introduced to a plastic extrusionmachine, which heats the pellets to a high enough temperature totransform the pellets into a molten state. At this point, additives(e.g., color or other substances, etc.) may be introduced along with theplastic pellets to achieve desired characteristics of the yarn. Themolten plastic is then forced through a hole in a die to create acontinuous strand. The shape of the hole governs the shape of thestrand. The molten strand is then quenched to become solid again. Thesolid state strand is then stretched, e.g., from 5 times to 12 times, toachieve appropriate physical properties. After it is stretched, the yarnstrand is then wound onto a tube for later use.

In the first operation or step 244 of method 240, multifilament yarnsmay be extruded in a similar manner as described above for single strandyarns. In this example, the multifilament yarns are made from a blend ormixture of polymer (e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, other polymershaving a specific gravity less than 1, etc.) and one or more additives(e.g., calcium carbonate, zinc sulfide, barium sulfate, and/or otheradditives having a specific gravity greater than 1, etc.). Withmultifilament yarns, the individual holes in the die are typicallysmaller. The individual continuous strands of filaments are bundled,twisted, textured, bulked, etc. together to form a heavier weight yarn.The yarn bundle may then be exposed to a number of other processes(e.g., twisting, etc.) to enhance the yarn properties.

Alternatively, the first operation or step 244 may include manufacturingspun yarns from cut lengths of plastic fibers or relatively short staplefibers, where the fibers are made from a blend or mixture of polymer(e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, other polymers having a specificgravity less than 1, etc.) and one or more additives (e.g., calciumcarbonate, zinc sulfide, barium sulfate, and/or other additives having aspecific gravity greater than 1, etc.). The short staple fibers areentangled among themselves or around a core yarn(s) to form a singlestrand of yarn.

After the yarns are manufactured at the first operation or step 244, theyarns may then proceed to the second operation or step 248 where theyarns are processed into either warp yarns or weft yarns for asubmersible turf reinforcement mat. First, individual packages of yarnmay be loaded onto a creel and then transferred to a single loom beam.These yarns are generally referred to as warp yarns. A loom beam maycontain thousands of individual warp yarns. The loom beam becomes thesource in the loom for the machine direction yarns. Other yarns may thenbe inserted on the loom in the cross machine direction. These otheryarns are generally known as weft or fill yarns. In an alternativeprocess, the beaming process may be bypassed and looms can be feddirectly from a creel.

At the third operation or step 252, a weaving machine, commonly called aloom, is loaded with the loom beam and the weft yarns mentioned above.The weaving machine may then interlace the yarns in a woven method.

After the yarns are woven, the woven fabric may then be processedthrough a finishing oven at the fourth operation of process 256. Theheat in the oven may heat shrink and cause shrinkage of the warp andweft yarns within the submersible turf reinforcement mat to achieve thedesired characteristics (e.g., three dimensional, pyramidal, honey comb,or cuspated profile shape, etc.) of the finished turf reinforcement mat.For example, the warp and weft yarns may have heat shrinkagecharacteristics such that when heated, the warp and weft yarns form athree-dimensional, pyramidal, honey comb, or cuspated shape.

The method 240 shown in FIG. 2 and described above is provided forpurpose of illustration only as a submersible turf reinforcement matcomprising a polymer/additive blend or mixture may be made by otherprocesses. For example, another exemplary embodiment may include asubmersible turf reinforcement mat including spun yarn and/ormultifilament yarn comprising a polymer/additive blend or mixture ineither or both of the warp and weft directions where the submersibleturf reinforcement mat is made by a different process.

A common issue in the industry for turf reinforcement mats is that thematerials are typically manufactured from polymers with specific gravitycharacteristics that cause them to float in water. In exemplaryembodiments disclosed herein, a submersible turf reinforcement mat ismade out of materials that can allow either or both of the yarns (warpand/or weft) to be manufactured from polymers and additives (e.g.,additives with a specific gravity greater than one, etc.) so that thesubmersible turf reinforcement mat sinks and does not float when exposedto water.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will bethorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled inthe art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples ofspecific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not beemployed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many differentforms, and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of thedisclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes,well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are notdescribed in detail. In addition, advantages and improvements that maybe achieved with one or more exemplary embodiments of the presentdisclosure are provided for purpose of illustration only and do notlimit the scope of the present disclosure, as exemplary embodimentsdisclosed herein may provide all or none of the above mentionedadvantages and improvements and still fall within the scope of thepresent disclosure.

Specific dimensions, specific materials, and/or specific shapesdisclosed herein are example in nature and do not limit the scope of thepresent disclosure. The disclosure herein of particular values andparticular ranges of values for given parameters are not exclusive ofother values and ranges of values that may be useful in one or more ofthe examples disclosed herein. Moreover, it is envisioned that any twoparticular values for a specific parameter stated herein may define theendpoints of a range of values that may be suitable for the givenparameter (i.e., the disclosure of a first value and a second value fora given parameter can be interpreted as disclosing that any valuebetween the first and second values could also be employed for the givenparameter). For example, if Parameter X is exemplified herein to havevalue A and also exemplified to have value Z, it is envisioned thatparameter X may have a range of values from about A to about Z.Similarly, it is envisioned that disclosure of two or more ranges ofvalues for a parameter (whether such ranges are nested, overlapping ordistinct) subsume all possible combination of ranges for the value thatmight be claimed using endpoints of the disclosed ranges. For example,if parameter X is exemplified herein to have values in the range of1-10, or 2-9, or 3-8, it is also envisioned that Parameter X may haveother ranges of values including 1-9, 1-8, 1-3, 1-2, 2-10, 2-8, 2-3,3-10, and 3-9.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularexample embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As usedherein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” may be intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and“having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, butdo not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groupsthereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described hereinare not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance inthe particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specificallyidentified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood thatadditional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on”, “engaged to”,“connected to” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may bedirectly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element orlayer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast,when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engagedto”, “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element orlayer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Otherwords used to describe the relationship between elements should beinterpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directlybetween,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein,the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more ofthe associated listed items.

The term “about” when applied to values indicates that the calculationor the measurement allows some slight imprecision in the value (withsome approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonablyclose to the value; nearly). If, for some reason, the imprecisionprovided by “about” is not otherwise understood in the art with thisordinary meaning, then “about” as used herein indicates at leastvariations that may arise from ordinary methods of measuring or usingsuch parameters. For example, the terms “generally”, “about”, and“substantially” may be used herein to mean within manufacturingtolerances.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein todescribe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections,these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should notbe limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguishone element, component, region, layer or section from another region,layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numericalterms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearlyindicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region,layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element,component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachingsof the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath”, “below”,“lower”, “above”, “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatiallyrelative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations ofthe device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depictedin the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turnedover, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements orfeatures would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features.Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation ofabove and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptorsused herein interpreted accordingly.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements, intended orstated uses, or features of a particular embodiment are generally notlimited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, areinterchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if notspecifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in manyways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from thedisclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be includedwithin the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A submersible turf reinforcement mat comprisingpolymer and one or more additives having a specific gravity greater thanone and greater than the polymer, whereby an overall density of thesubmersible turf reinforcement mat is greater than water such that thesubmersible turf reinforcement mat sinks in water.
 2. The submersibleturf reinforcement mat of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises atleast one or more of polypropylene, polyethylene, and/or polymer havinga specific gravity less than
 1. 3. The submersible turf reinforcementmat of claim 1, wherein the one or more additives comprise calciumcarbonate, zinc sulfide, and/or barium sulfate.
 4. The submersible turfreinforcement mat of claim 1, wherein a weight percentage of the one ormore additives compared to a total weight of a mixture of the polymerand the one or more additives is within a range from about 0.1% to about99%.
 5. The submersible turf reinforcement mat of claim 1, wherein theone or more additives comprise calcium carbonate in an amount such thata weight percentage of the calcium carbonate is within a range fromabout 17% to about 40% compared to a total weight of a mixture of thepolymer and the calcium carbonate.
 6. The submersible turf reinforcementmat of claim 5, wherein a specific gravity of the mixture of the polymerand the calcium carbonate falls within a range from about 1.015 to about1.228 where the specific gravity is determined by a ratio of the densityof the mixture of the polymer and the calcium carbonate to the densityof water at 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degrees Fahrenheit.
 7. Thesubmersible turf reinforcement mat of claim 1, wherein: the one or moreadditives comprise calcium carbonate in an amount such that a weightpercentage of the calcium carbonate is about 20% compared to a totalweight of a mixture of the polymer and the calcium carbonate; and thespecific gravity of the mixture of the polymer and the calcium carbonateis about 1.039 as determined by the ratio of the 1.039 g/cm³ density ofthe mixture of the polymer and the calcium carbonate to the 1.0 g/cm³density of water at 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degrees Fahrenheit.
 8. Thesubmersible turf reinforcement mat of claim 1, wherein the one or moreadditives comprise zinc sulfide in an amount such that a weightpercentage of the zinc sulfide is within a range from about 14% to about30% compared to a total weight of a mixture of the polymer and the zincsulfide.
 9. The submersible turf reinforcement mat of claim 8, wherein aspecific gravity of the mixture of the polymer and the zinc sulfidefalls within a range from about 1.01 to about 1.175 where the specificgravity is determined by the ratio of the density of the mixture of thepolymer and the zinc sulfide to the density of water at 4 degreesCelsius or 39 degrees Fahrenheit.
 10. The submersible turf reinforcementmat of claim 1, wherein: the one or more additives comprise zinc sulfidein an amount such that a weight percentage of the zinc sulfide is about15% compared to a total weight of a mixture of the polymer and the zincsulfide; and a specific gravity of the mixture of the polymer and thezinc sulfide is about 1.019 as determined by the ratio of the 1.039g/cm³ density of the mixture of the polymer and the zinc sulfide to the1.0 g/cm³ density of water at 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degreesFahrenheit.
 11. The submersible turf reinforcement mat of claim 1,wherein the one or more additives comprise barium sulfate in an amountsuch that a weight percentage of the barium sulfate is within a rangefrom about 14% to about 25% compared to a total weight of a mixture ofthe polymer and the barium sulfate.
 12. The submersible turfreinforcement mat of claim 11, wherein a specific gravity of the mixtureof the polymer and the barium sulfate falls within a range from about1.014 to about 1.125 where the specific gravity is determined by theratio of the density of the mixture of the polymer and the bariumsulfate to the density of water at 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degreesFahrenheit.
 13. The submersible turf reinforcement mat of claim 1,wherein: the one or more additives comprise barium sulfate in an amountsuch that a weight percentage of the barium sulfate is about 14%compared to a total weight of a mixture of the polymer and the bariumsulfate; and the specific gravity of the mixture of the polymer and thebarium sulfate is about 1.014 as determined by the ratio of the 1.014g/cm³ density of the mixture of the polymer and the barium sulfate tothe 1.0 g/cm³ density of water at 4 degrees Celsius or 39 degreesFahrenheit.
 14. The submersible turf reinforcement mat of claim 1,wherein the submersible turf reinforcement mat comprises one or morespun, monofilament, and/or multifilament yarns made from a mixture ofthe polymer and one or additives.
 15. The submersible turf reinforcementmat of claim 1, wherein the submersible turf reinforcement mat comprisesone or more warp and/or weft yarns made from a mixture of the polymerand one or additives.
 16. The submersible turf reinforcement mat ofclaim 1, wherein the submersible turf reinforcement mat comprises weftyarns and warp yarns interwoven with the weft yarns, wherein either orboth of the warp yarns and weft yarns are made from a mixture of thepolymer and one or additives.
 17. The submersible turf reinforcement matof claim 1, wherein the submersible turf reinforcement mat comprisesmonofilament strands that are made from a mixture of the polymer and oneor additives and that create an open mat.
 18. The submersible turfreinforcement mat of claim 1, wherein the submersible turf reinforcementmat comprises a netting or grid that is made from a mixture of thepolymer and one or additives and that is layered or attached togetherwith fibrous layers to form a three dimensional structure.
 19. Thesubmersible turf reinforcement mat of claim 1, wherein the submersibleturf reinforcement mat has a three-dimensional, pyramidal, honeycomb, orcuspated profile shape.
 20. The submersible turf reinforcement mat ofclaim 1, wherein the submersible turf reinforcement mat includes warpand weft yarns having heat shrinkage characteristics such that whenheated, the submersible turf reinforcement mat has a three-dimensional,pyramidal, honeycomb, or cuspated profile shape.